I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 967: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road, Butterfly Effect (Combined Chapter)

Su Yao's intention to build two cities here caused a heated discussion.

Indeed, Dihua is surrounded by abundant water and grass, and has the basic conditions for military farming, but this place is far away from the Central Plains after all, and the cost of immigrant rule is high.

Moreover, this damn place is surrounded by nomadic tribes and has no trade value. At present, it seems to be a complete negative asset and there is no return on investment.

But as a person from later generations, Su Yao is naturally well aware of the unique location advantages here.

Whether retreating to protect the Western Regions or advancing to capture Wusun, it is a very important stronghold.

However, if we want to gain a foothold here, we still need to solve a problem, that is, the Xianbei people who are coming one after another.

Only by completely expelling the Xianbei people from this area could they concentrate on farming and building cities.

"what?"

"Are we not going to Futu City?"

The next morning, after a night's rest, the generals who were about to set out for Futu City were suddenly confused when they heard Su Yao's order.

According to the tactics they had discussed before, the Han army will implement the strategy of defeating the enemies one by one.

First, they took advantage of the Wusun people's unstable foothold to seize Bilu, and then, with the power of a great victory, they swept all the way to the north of the mountain and captured Futu City before the Xianbei people arrived. Then they reorganized the city defenses and relied on the city defenses to severely attack the Xianbei people.

Now the plan is progressing smoothly. They have completed half of it. The Wusun army will be defeated in one day. They should take this opportunity to sweep across the rear of Cheshi. Why did the general change his mind?

Everyone looked at each other, and finally Cao Cao pondered and asked:

"But what happened on the front line? Are the Xianbei people faster than expected?"

"Yes, Futu City is not Jiaohe City after all. They are well prepared now. If the Xianbei people speed up, they will be attacked from behind when they are stationed outside the city. It will be very dangerous."

"However, is Futu Town really qualified for us to stop our troops at the gates?"

"No matter how you think about it, this isn't something the general would worry about."

For a moment, everyone was talking at once, unable to understand what the general was up to.

Su Yao smiled slightly and said, "The small city of Futu is like a turtle in a jar. As long as we defeat the Xianbei, they will not be able to escape even if they have wings."

"But if we destroy the pagoda first, the Xianbei people may flee. The worst case scenario is that they will linger and frequently disrupt our food supply."

As he spoke, Su Yao pointed at the location under their feet on the map:
"Instead of doing that, it is better to deal with the Xianbei, the biggest threat, here. Now that the reinforcements have been destroyed, Futu City can be conquered without a fight."

The reason why Su Yao changed his plan was simple, because he found that the Xianbei people on the small map seemed to be retreating.
It seems that the attack on Wusun was too harsh.

"My Lords, why are you still hesitating? I've long said that the guy surnamed Su is not easy to mess with."

In the Xianbei camp, in front of all the Xianbei leaders, a man with a goatee kept on talking:

"Look, the Wusun people are finished now. If we don't leave quickly, then..."

"Shut up, you have no right to speak."

The Xianbei leader Budugen shouted angrily and kicked the goateed Hu man to the ground.

Hu people, that's right, this person is a Xiongnu, named Momolo. He is the Momolo leader of the Xiutu tribe who was beaten by Su Yao and fled all over the place, abandoning his home and property and running away from the tribe to the northern grassland.

Back then, he was frightened by Su Yao in Bingzhou. Seeing brave warriors being killed and tribes being exterminated, he fled. In the end, he ran away and sought refuge with Budugen, the Xianbei leader entrenched in the north of Bingyou.

However, the good times did not last long. Although Budugen took him in because of the tribesmen and livestock he brought with him, this legitimate successor of the Xianbei Chanyu was defeated in the battle with Kebi Neng in the east and had to flee to the west again.

And all this was actually thanks to Su Yao.

Originally, Kebi Neng would not be able to deal with Budugen so quickly.

After all, Budugen was the grandson of Tan Shihuai. Not only did he inherit his ancestor's legacy, but he also controlled a considerable portion of the fertile grasslands south of the desert.

However, Su Yao's strong rise in Bingzhou made Budugen, who was supposed to control Yunzhong, Yanmen, Daijun and other places, lose the space for expansion. At the same time, Su Yao killed the Wuhuan rebels and another Xianbei chieftain who was against Kebi in Youzhou, which enabled Kebi to attack Budugen in the east without any worries.

In this way, in the north of Youzhou, while Su Yao of Guannei was rapidly unifying, Kebi Neng was also rising rapidly. Budugen was defeated in several battles, lost a large area of ​​grassland, and finally had to flee to the vast central grassland, that is, the direction of Beidi and the north of Liangzhou, giving up the east.

Budugen was very depressed during the escape. He even thought that God wanted to kill him and there was no place for him to stand in this vast world.

However, he never expected that as soon as he arrived here, he would be warmly welcomed by the local Xianbei tribes.

The reason is very simple, it’s still because of Su Yao.

That year, Prince Qianman, who was also driven out by Budugen, was killed by Su Yao in Jilushai. The Western Xianbei tribe was suddenly in a situation of disarray.

Although his strength had greatly declined, Budugen quickly used the advantages of his bloodline, as well as means such as marriage and solicitation to temporarily become the nominal leader of the western Xianbei tribes, secretly resisting Kebi in the east.

However, compared to Kebi who rose from the grassroots, was supported by the people, and expanded step by step through wars and annexations, Budugen's ruling foundation was much more fragile. He could only rely on the prestige of his ancestors and the help of his in-laws and tribes. He had no decision-making power in many major events, and was only slightly better than a puppet Chanyu.

Therefore, Budugen urgently needed a war to establish his own prestige, and the Xianbei tribes were also quite wary of the sudden rise of the Han Dynasty, which was extending its tentacles to their rear, and were very concerned about the request for help from the rear of Cheshi.

As a result, Budugen and they hit it off immediately and led a large army to provide support.

At the same time, Budugen also specially called Momola, a subordinate who knew the Han people better and had fought with them several times.

However, Budugen did not expect that everything was going well, but shortly before the army set out, Momola learned the name of the Han general and immediately went crazy, begging him not to bring him here.

How could Budugen fulfill his wish this time?

I took you in so that you could work hard, but when it’s time to work you hide away. So what’s the point of keeping you?

Immediately, Budugen ordered Momola to call up his men and demanded that all of them be present.

Then, Momola began to repeatedly tell him how difficult it was to deal with the Han general, and asked him not to go to war with Su Yao easily.

To be honest, Budugen didn't care much about what Momora said.

After all, he was a defeated general, so it was understandable that he had no courage, especially since the weakness of the Huns had long been the object of ridicule by the Xianbei people. So Budugen treated it as a joke, listened to how the Huns were beaten, and regarded Momola as a funny clown.

However, Budugen had not expected that the clown would dare to disrupt the public discussion.

"Someone! Drag this coward out and give him twenty lashes!"

"Please spare my life, Lord Shanyu, please spare my life!"

Momora was still wailing as he was dragged out, but his cries were soon replaced by the whistling of whips and screams.

Some of the Xianbei leaders in the tent laughed loudly and even said that the weak Hu people should be taught a lesson with blood, but some people were awakened by Momolo's words and became wary.

"Chanyu, the Wusun people are quite brave and good at fighting. They often fight with us. Now they are defeated so easily by the Han people. I'm afraid they are really capable."

"Humph, the Wusun people were arrogant and conceited, underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, so it's no surprise that they ended up like this."

Budugen snorted coldly and explained:
"I heard from the scouts that as soon as the Wusun people arrived in Beilu, they rode their horses everywhere to enclose the land, expelled the local tribes, and looted cattle, sheep, and women."

"How can an army that only knows how to rob win a battle when facing a powerful enemy? How can it be compared with our Xianbei warriors?"

"Besides, our army has 30,000 people, while the Han army has less than 10,000. As long as we can find the right opportunity and give them a strong blow, we will surely win the battle and establish the hegemony of the Xianbei in the Western Regions in one fell swoop, and cut off an arm of the Han court!" Budugen said this aggressively, but unfortunately, he could not really command this team.

The Han army swept through the Wusun people like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, which eventually made many tribes feel suspicious. As a result, their pace slowed down a lot. They lingered in the southern part of the Junggar Basin and were reluctant to enter the area on the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains controlled by the Cheshi, as if they were watching how the situation would develop.

The reason is also very simple.

The terrain in the southern mountainous area is complex and not suitable for nomadic armies to fight. Since their goal is to ensure that Cheshi is not annexed by the Han Dynasty, it is obviously a better choice to confront them from a distance.

However, this would make the nomadic tribes living near the Junggar Basin unhappy.

This is their pasture, and now a large number of war horses and livestock are consuming their fertility here, and at the same time they do not enter the southern mountainous area, which means that their original plan to expand their territory here has come to nothing.
That’s right, just as the Wusun people took the opportunity to annex Beilu, the nearby Xianbei tribe had long had the idea of ​​nibbling away at the remaining territory of the rear of Cheshi.

However, the Han army was now stationed in Bilu, and their plans were shattered.

In this way, the Xianbei and Han armies began a tense confrontation.

The Han army was based in Dihua, relying on the supply from the front of Cheshi. They set up defenses at important mountain passes and built beacon towers.

The Xianbei people were grazing on the grasslands of the Junggar Basin at the foot of the mountain, vigilantly monitoring the movements of the Han army and looking for opportunities to attack.

Thus, for a while, the direction of the war returned to the traditional direction. More than ten days passed in a flash, and except for small-scale scout battles on the battlefield, no one had the intention of taking the initiative to attack.

However, just like the calm before the storm, as the situation develops, countless eyes are now staring at this place.

"Neither fighting nor leaving, are the Han people planning to settle down here?"

"That's tens of thousands of soldiers eating and drinking. Don't they think they can outlast the Xianbei people who are grazing outside the mountains?"

The one who spoke was Mohula from the Cheshi Kingdom.

God knows how he got through the past ten days.

The Han army drew their bows but did not fire, and the Xianbei people watched from afar, making the instigator of the attack feel very uneasy.

Every day he stood on the top of the Futu City, looking at the mountain pass in the northwest direction, hoping for the support of the Xianbei army, but also afraid of the sudden attack of the Han army.

At this point, he is now filled with regret.

If he had known that the Han army had such capabilities, he would have surrendered early to avoid becoming a prey now.

But it is obvious that the current development of the situation has nothing to do with him. No matter whether the Han people win or the Xianbei win, it is conceivable that the future of himself and his country will probably not be very good.

"It would be best if they both suffered heavy losses, so that no one can take care of us!"

Mohu Luo thought secretly and urged the Xianbei to send troops to rescue every day.

At the same time, it was not just the Han and Xian families confronting each other on the battlefield. Not far northwest of Yumen Pass, the Han infantry led by Xu Huang, Gao Shun and Huang Zhong were also confronting the 20,000-strong Western Region coalition force.

They were ordered to guard the roads and prevent the Western coalition forces from interfering with the battlefield in the north.

This task was relatively easy to accomplish because the Western Region coalition forces had no plans for a strong attack and everyone was waiting for the final outcome of the battle in the north.

The confrontation between the Han Dynasty and the Xianbei reminded them of long-forgotten memories.

This is how the land of the Western Regions has been developed for hundreds of years.

The Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu fought for supremacy in the north countless times, and the winner decided the fate of the Western Regions.

This time, the former Huns were no longer there, and were replaced by the newly emerged grassland overlord, the Xianbei.

Will the results be any different?

"I say, is it really okay for us to just not put in any effort at all?"

The person who spoke was the general of the Kingdom of Kucha:

"If we let the Han army win, I'm afraid we won't be able to just bow our heads this time."

"Contribute?"

The general of Khotan snorted coldly:
"Do you see the Han army on the opposite side?"

"Although they are small in number, they are well-equipped, well-trained, and most importantly, very united!"

After saying this, General Yutian deliberately glanced at General Shanshan who was far away from him, with a meaningful look on his face.

This is not surprising. Although the countries in the Western Regions formed a coalition, there were constant conflicts and contradictions between them, and they were wary of each other, making it difficult to form any joint force.

Today, Khotan and Shanshan in the south of the desert are the two most powerful and most conflicting countries. After the decline of the Han Dynasty, they expanded everywhere, conquering and controlling several small countries around them. Their spheres of influence overlapped and they had fought against each other several times.

How could such a seemingly united but actually divided coalition be a match for the united Han army?
"Don't worry, we have done a great job by holding them back here."

The general of Shule State said quickly:

"And from my perspective, the Han army will not be able to get anything out of this."

"They left their homes and came here, how could they fight the Xianbei people who live by following the water and grass to the end?"

"In my opinion, it won't be long before these Han people withdraw their troops on their own, and we can continue to live as usual."

General Shule's words aroused a wave of approval.

Indeed, in the eyes of most people, the Han army came from afar and had a long supply line, and although the Xianbei people's hometown was not close to here, the characteristics of nomads determined that as long as there were pastures and water, they could live anywhere.

And winter will be here soon.

The Han army could not stay there without any land for farming, so they had to withdraw to the interior to rest and recuperate.

At that time, if they were attacked a few times by the Xianbei people on the way of retreat, these people would most likely repeat the fate of the Han Dynasty's three-pronged attack on the Xianbei and were eventually annihilated.

Thinking of this, the generals' faces suddenly relaxed a lot and they started talking and laughing.

It is naturally a great thing to be able to solve the problem without any effort or injury.

If there hadn't been an urgent report a few days later, that would have been the case.
"ah????"

"The Xianbei people were defeated?"

"How can it be so fast?!!"

Inside the big tent, the music that had been going on for days suddenly stopped, and the people who were singing and dancing all held their breath. Not only did the girls turn pale, but the generals also turned pale. The Shule general who had been chatting and laughing before rushed down and pressed the scout's shoulder hard:

"impossible!"

"Thirty thousand cavalrymen! That's thirty thousand cavalrymen!"

"What on earth happened in the north?!"

(End of this chapter)